There was a point that I actually had more succulents that needed a pot than I had...pots. Plus I wanted to beef up our display with more splashes of bright colours. It's amazing how difficult that can be (at least here) especially when you go out there and deliberately look out for them.
On one of our trips out to the shops I had a mission to buy a few more pots that were colourful but still within our taste and scheme (if that makes sense). But on that day I didn't find any. Then an idea spurned, what if those 'things' are not in the garden and decor section? They could be in the kitchen! And so why not add a touch of kitchenalia into the collection. And so we did!
So back into several shops and out I came with things not for the kitchen, but for the garden...
Like baking dishes...
Bottle caddies...
Mixing bowls...
Water jug...
Did I say mixing bowls?
Bottle caddy again... (plus the colour picks on the chairs)
And back to jugs, as some of you may have noticed I have a thing for brightly coloured jugs (the one you pour drinks from, not 'that' jug). The yellow one below I spotted in an antique/bric-a-brac shop in Cambridge last year and instantly fell in love with its bright colour and angular shape. Trouble was, it had a sin. It was a jug that had the logo of a cigarette brand, harking back to a bygone era when smoking was so common and legal in public spaces. Fortunately I still found a way to hide that sin.
Oh, and there were the Japanese soup/rice bowls too. Gotta have them and I love the patterns!
Funny enough, the jugs below were actually meant for the garden. Go figure...
Anyway, the only thing with using kitchenalia is that they rarely come with drainage holes, unless it's a colander. So you'll have to have some drilling to do. And those that were meant to go in the oven have very thick bases and can be difficult to drill holes in. So my suggestion is to use a quality masonry drill bit in the first place and the job will be done nicely.
Have to say I'm loving all the colours, patterns, and shapes on some of these kitchen items. A sharp contrast to what we actually use in our kitchen which are either clear glass, stainless steel, or pure white!
Mark :-)
This gardening blog follows our journey as we create our Tropical and Exotic themed garden. We hope you'll enjoy the journey as much as we do. We started our Exotic Garden in 2005 and this site will show its development, as well as our travels, both abroad and within the UK to gardens, nurseries and friends.
Aha! I love those hexagonal "pots." I need to follow your example and look farther afield for pots, especially now that I've commissioned my husband to build me a combination bench/plant shelf to pretty-up the bare area around our Magnolia tree.
ReplyDeleteA mix of pots from different sources would look great in that area under your Magnolia tree Kris :)
DeleteAt first I thought you were going to say that you "borrowed" some of your own kitchen gear to plant in! Glad it was just shopping in a different section of the store. :)
ReplyDeleteLove the water pitcher!
Ha, I ont think I'll be allowed Alan :)
DeleteEnjoying the beauty of the plants so much, forgot all about the pots. You did good.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gail!
DeleteYour container collection is getting ever bigger. Are you running out of plants to pot up yet?
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to find out what you're going to do next as far as containers are concerned.
Still have a few waiting for pots Gerhard but have taken a pause from potting up anything at the moment. Just enjoying the current display :)
DeleteThe first bottle caddy is my favourite - very cool!
ReplyDeleteGlad you like it Amy!
Delete"kitchenalia"...a new word, thanks! I love that pitcher with the cigarette sin...
ReplyDeleteA trendy sort of word too Loree :)
DeleteInspired. I love repurposing, it's a great way to add character to the garden. The bottle caddies are really cool. We have an old piglet feeding trough as a home for alpines. It's made of iron, extremely heavy and drilling the holes was challenging!
ReplyDeleteThose old troughs are beautiful and full of character Jessica :)
DeleteSo many great ideas. I've got a couple dishes/planters I've been hesitant to drill holes into, and so they've sat unused for anything. It's time to find the drill bit!
ReplyDeleteGive it a go Denise, it wasn't that difficult :)
DeleteYou've found some more inspiring containers! Love the splashes of color!
ReplyDeleteVery creative! I really like the baking dishes. I am going to have another look at kitchen accessories!
ReplyDelete